1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a method for producing the same, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus including the electrophotographic photosensitive member.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrophotographic photosensitive members (organic electrophotographic photosensitive members) that use an organic photoconductive substance have advantages of high productivity and low production costs because they can be produced by coating and have ease of film formation. Therefore, such electrophotographic photosensitive members have been widely investigated. In particular, the mechanical durability of electrophotographic photosensitive members has been attempted to be improved in order to lengthen the life of electrophotographic photosensitive members and achieve high image quality. Among the electrophotographic photosensitive members, an electrophotographic photosensitive member having a surface layer composed of a cured resin is put to practical use, for example, as a high-speed copying machine that requires high durability, because of its high wear resistance.
To improve the mechanical durability such as scratch resistance or wear resistance of electrophotographic photosensitive members, a technology is also known in which an additive is added to the surface layer of electrophotographic photosensitive members.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2007-272191, 2007-272192, and 2007-279678 each disclose a technology in which a certain amine compound is further added to the surface layer of electrophotographic photosensitive members, the surface layer containing a cured resin obtained by polymerizing a radical-polymerizable monomer mixture. The purpose of the technology is to improve blurred images by adding a certain amine compound to the surface layer, without decreasing the hardness (mechanical durability) due to polymerization inhibition.
However, as a result of the investigation conducted by the inventors of the present invention, it was found that the amine compounds disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 2007-272191, 2007-272192, and 2007-279678 degraded the electrical characteristics of electrophotographic photosensitive members. The mechanical durability such as scratch resistance was also not sufficient. Herein, the term “scratch” means an externally obvious scratch formed on the surface of an electrophotographic photosensitive member, the scratch being caused when the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is subjected to local mechanical stress. Such a scratch can also be recognized on an output image as a damaged image (a scratch-shaped white patch or black line).